Full list of Fifa World Player 2009 candidates:
Michael Ballack (Germany), Gianluigi Buffon (Italy), Iker Casillas (Spain), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal), Diego (Brazil), Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast), Michael Essien (Ghana), Samuel Eto'o (Cameroon), Steven Gerrard (England), Thierry Henry (France), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden), Andrés Iniesta (Spain), Kaká (Brazil), Frank Lampard (England), Luis Fabiano (Brazil), Lionel Messi (Argentina), Carles Puyol (Spain), Franck Ribéry (France), Wayne Rooney (England), John Terry (England), Fernando Torres (Spain), David Villa (Spain) and Xavi (Spain).
This is the 18th year Fifa have named a World Player of the Year. The past winners (which include George Weah prior to his half-season at Chelsea) are:
2008 Ronaldo
2007 Kaká
2006 Fabio Cannavaro
2005 Ronaldinho
2004 Ronaldinho
2003 Zinedine Zidane
2002 Ronaldo
2001 Luis Figo
2000 Zinedine Zidane
1999 Rivaldo
1998 Zinedine Zidane
1997 Ronaldo
1996 Ronaldo
1995 George Weah
1994 Romario
1993 Roberto Baggio
1992 Marco van Basten
1991 Lothar Matthäus
